Pix 'n Prose: People

Last weekend I took pics at our local retirement home for 2 hours on Saturday afternoon and then again for 2 hours on Sunday afternoon.

Being friendly, talkative, interesting and interested in complete strangers and their pets for 4 hours over 2 days? Exhausted me.

No really. I was in bed each night by midnight because there was nothing left.

Going to bed at midnight when I should be doing a load of laundry or filling the dishwasher put me behind a little. So I felt like I was playing 'catch up' all week long. Know what I mean?

Whine. Whine. Whine.

Highlights of the week included a work lunch on Wednesday:
Meet Steve (on the left) and Tony (on the right). Steve is VP of Program at Arrow and in charge of this gathering. Tony used to work with me, but is now with Restorative Justice.

This was my corner of the table, from left to right ... Anthony, Pastor of the new Urban Road Church that meets at Colossus, then Darren (Director of Strategic Partnership Initiatives at Arrow), then Bill, pastor of Gracepoint, then Jeff, pastor at Life Church.

They were great lunch companions. As they chatted, laughed, asked questions and the answer was always "God."

Meet Ray. He's my new boss... VP of Advancement:
(He has memorized the entire book of Ephesians)

These were the pastors that were sitting right beside me... Inho on the left, Jo-Ann on the right.

And our President - the very Rev Dr. Carson ...

There were 15 of us in total.
14 of us are very holy people. The other one of us didn't know she'd be attending this function, so she was wearing jeans and a tank top, holding her camera and a video recorder, handing out name tags and gift bags answering "Jesus" whenever someone asked her a question.

That evening was my book club's Christmas party, where we ate food, (including some good ol' Mennonite baking) talked about life and put together a gift bag for a women's shelter... books (no duh), chocolate, tea, mittens, socks and underwear. A full, rich, warm, wonderful evening. And then we talked about the book Cry The Beloved Country.

I loved the book and our discussion. At one point, Karm pointed out a line (on the bottom of page 307) where the one guy (Jarvis) could have simply said, "You're welcome" in response to the other guy's (the Priest's) expression of thanks. But he didn't. He said, "I have seen a man who was in darkness till you found him. If that is what you do, I give it (money and land and hope) willingly."

Karm pointed out how much of a blessing it would have been for the (poor, discouraged) Priest to have heard those words. And how powerful words are. And how instead of "just" saying thank you and you're welcome... she's going to try and add a few more words of thanks and appreciation, being specific and intentional about why she is thankful.

THAT was inspiring to me.

I myself, underlined alot of phrases in the book, but the one section that is sticking with me still, after 8 days, is:

Father Vincent: My friend...

Kumalo: Father?

FV: My friend. Your anxiety turned to fear, and your fear turned to sorrow. But sorrow is better than fear. For fear impoverishes always, while sorrow may enrich.

Kumalo: I do not know that I am enriched.

Father Vincent: Sorrow is better than fear. Fear is a journey, a terrible journey, but sorrow is at least an arriving.

Kumalo: And were have I arrived?

Father Vincent: When the storm threatens, a man is afraid for his house. But when the house is destroyed, there is something to do. About a storm he can do nothing, but he can rebuild a house.

I LOVED that.
It just made so much sense to me. About a storm we can do nothing. But we can always rebuild our houses.

Anyways, when I got home afterwards, Shannon was here. She was having an overnighter...

On Thursday after work, 6 of us had a girl's night out, including my young friends from Arrow, Shannon and Kayely,:

In fact, there were 4 twenty-something year olds in the group...

I was almost the oldest.

We saw RED and Due Date. Double feature at the Clova. FUN. (Mostly. Due Date was a bit raunchier than some of us could handle. But, but, but - Robert Downey Jr!)

When I got home, Clint was on the couch. He was staying for an overnighter...

He studied Stats on the couch from midnight til 8 am. I left for work, he went to sleep.

When I got home at 3, he got up.

Hungry.

That's what moms are for:

Perogies and bacon/onions for breakfast/lunch/dinner? While talking to Adam about going out for a meal: